Best way to route a cable...

[YYY]

I have a 2m cable that I want to discreetly route from the centre console to the air vent to the right of the driver where my phone will be located.

I was hoping I could slide the cable under the chair and then route it up the side of the door, or route it under the steering wheel. Does anybody have any experience of removing some of the panels? I've tried wedging it under the trim to the right of the gearstick but it's too tight to get the cable under.

[Qashowner]

I presume you will be plugging into the central socket, could you not take it under the carpet, or even below your seat and tuck it into the trim below the steering wheel to your phone?

[YYY]

Yes, I am using the usb socket in the centre console.

Yeah, that was my plan, but I need to know how to get it under the carpet. I presume I will have to remove some of the plastic trim in order to find the edge of the carpet.

How would I feed it under the carpet itself, pushing a cable would only make it coil up and not move...

[Deleted User 10757]

Sounds like its time to remove the seat and the inner sill trim so the carpet can be lifted.
Sounds like a faff but quicker in the long run.

However - disclaimer bit - read up on how to do this as there are seat belt pre tensioners in this area and you might get a fault code or warning lamp showing in the dash.

Does your phone not have sufficient battery to last whilst in the cradle ?

[YYY]

Whilst in the cradle? I only want it connected to the right of the drivers seat for CarPlay. I can move the phone to the air vents in the centre and still have CarPlay, but I would prefer it on the right.

That does sound like a faff!

[MikeGC]

I don’t think you really need to route a cable, unless I have misunderstood.

I have mine in the little tray behind the cup holders but in front of the armrest cubby.
It’s an 2020 iPhone SE, so relatively small, it lodges there quite securely.
Sorry if you already know this but you should know that if you intend to use Google maps (or another navigation app.) or play music, it mirrors onto the connect unit so it almost doesn’t matter where the phone is located - subject to it being able to find a signal, of course.

[YYY]

Yes, I know that’s correct. I think I might just do that from now and not bother mounting my phone on the air vents.

Not much need to as I will be plugging phone in 100% of the time and using CP.

[lapalmeraie]

Only days ago I posted a video on this. Some Spanish guy wanted to know the same thing
This is how I managed and it is simple and straight forward.

You can of course route your cable more hidden but for Carplay you need the USB plug in the arm rest and than 2M won't be enough!
You should also make a hole into the arm rest compartment itself otherwise it makes no sense to hide it everywhere but still having it routed on the side of the armrest. And you should fix it well in order not to get it tangled in some mechanisms.

My approach could help you I think and big advantage is that you still can use the cable as well as separate charging cable. For instance when travelling and having forgotten your regular charger.

[lapalmeraie]

Yes, I know that’s correct. I think I might just do that from now and not bother mounting my phone on the air vents.

Not much need to as I will be plugging phone in 100% of the time and using CP.

Thing is that some apps can use both your car screen and phone screen with different info.
For instance Apple maps. You get turn by turn directions on your phone and the map view on the car screen

The phone holder upfront is also used for the short drives where you do not connect Carplay but still want the phone info, Siri etc.

[YYY]

Only days ago I posted a video on this. Some Spanish guy wanted to know the same thing
This is how I managed and it is simple and straight forward.

You can of course route your cable more hidden but for Carplay you need the USB plug in the arm rest and than 2M won't be enough!
You should also make a hole into the arm rest compartment itself otherwise it makes no sense to hide it everywhere but still having it routed on the side of the armrest. And you should fix it well in order not to get it tangled in some mechanisms.

My approach could help you I think and big advantage is that you still can use the cable as well as separate charging cable. For instance when travelling and having forgotten your regular charger.

I’ve watch3d a few of your videos, you helped me understand that the old head units were the ones with the SD card slot.

I’ll watch the video shortly!